


Listen

by DubiousPhysics



Category: RWBY
Genre: Gen, Pre-Canon
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-03-14
Updated: 2016-03-14
Packaged: 2018-05-26 16:13:03
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 838
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6246823
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/DubiousPhysics/pseuds/DubiousPhysics
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>The short tale of a Blade, a young lady, and a shield.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Listen

With a final enraged screech, the Grimm plunged face first into the ground, sending shattered chunks of rock flying in all directions. Left with no refuge, the blaze of hatred in its eyes flickered and died, vanishing into nothingness as the last vestiges of life fled the creature's form.

There was a sharp _crack_ as a gunshot guaranteed them a smooth journey.

Jasper took a moment to steady himself as he chambered a fresh round, lungs burning from the fierce pursuit. Behind him, another cry rang out - a human one, this time.

"Haaaaaah!"

The cry was soon joined by more furious screeching as another Griffon crashed into the rocks below. The smaller Grimm fared somewhat better on landing than its predecessor, thrashing about in a painful effort to find its feet before a single, clean sword stroke put an end to its death throes. The sword's wielder sheathed her weapon with a slight flourish, alighting from the beast's neck to land expertly on the ground below.

While unsurprised, Jasper allowed his expression to settle on 'impressed' as he made his way down towards her, the gravel sliding under his feet necessitating caution. He'd met more than enough warriors to recognise those truly rare blends of talent, skill, and practice at a glance. He had, however, been somewhat surprised by her initial offer of assistance as a guide and travelling companion, with no compensation or ulterior motive in mind, nor any particular reason beyond the observation that he "seemed a little lost".

"Very impressive work," he remarked, finally reaching the bottom of the slope.

"'Always double tap,'" the girl replied, repeating his own words, "'you don't want to learn that lesson the hard way.'"

Her voice betrayed her youth, something a body honed by years of combat school might otherwise have concealed. She had to be at most twelve or thirteen years old, if that. He hadn't asked.

"You're a fast learner," Jasper noted, nodding appreciatively.

"I try my best." The girl smiled, turning to eye the shield still strapped securely to his left arm. "That's quite some shield you've got there, sir. I've never heard of anything surviving a Griffon strike at that speed - not unharmed, at least."

Jasper returned the smile, unstrapping the shield and offering it to her for a closer look. "All composites, primarily titanium alloy through a multi-layered shell, shifting to an osmium base bonded with cubic boron nitride closer to the edges. Layers cross-reinforced with silk aramid fibres, packed with myomer shock gel to buffer impacts. Cross-woven aramid epoxy and myomer for the core and grip points. And, well, swirl patterns which are, admittedly, just swirl patterns.

"One of my more indulgent designs, from younger days - not technically indestructible, but about as close as I can get within the boundaries of physics." He paused thoughtfully for a moment, then added, "Also, please don't call me 'sir'."

"It's a beautiful shield," the girl said, marvelling. "This stuff is a little beyond the smithing they teach us in combat school, but I can see how much heart you've put into it. The younger you must have been a wonderfully vibrant soul - not that I'm suggesting you've changed, of course!"

"Oh, I've changed." Jasper's sigh was at the same time both amused and slightly wistful. "We all do, for better or worse."

"Well, sir, _I_ like the way you turned out."

"Thank you," he replied, smiling again. "By the way, I think you should probably hang on to that shield."

"...what?" The girl's eyes widened. There was a hint of delight in them, despite her best efforts to banish it.

"You mentioned you might have need of a shield in the near future. I think this one suits you."

"But... what about you?"

Jasper responded by reaching into his bag, pulling out a compact contraption that quickly unfolded into a smaller, more plain shield. "That shield - your shield - is a poor fit for me, unfortunately," he explained. "In my line of work, _almost_ indestructible doesn't quite hold up. My shields need to be expendable, and that would be a shame for something with such... heart. You, on the other hand - I suspect you'll be a Huntress, one day. You'll want something by your side with a heart to match your own."

"I... Um..." The girl paused for several seconds, grasping for words. "Thank you," she said at last. "I learned a lot today, and... I'll have to work hard to find a weapon to match."

"I should be thanking you, for your assistance. I'm unfamiliar with Mistral, and these Grimm would have been impossible to track down without your guidance."

The girl grinned, a little shyly. "Well, I mostly just talked at you a lot."

"Your speaking had great value. All I had to do was listen."

There was a moment's silence, and the girl looked back down at her new shield. "Listen," she murmured quietly to herself.

"Farewell, Miss Nikos," Jasper said, pulling her out of her reverie. "I hope the shield serves you well."


End file.
